4-3-3 System History This system was developed by the Brazilians in the late 1950's and early 1960's Overview !o"r #4$ % &eenders playin( in a diamond ormation) *ne on ea+h lan, et #!"ll$ Ba+, #B$ .i(ht #!"ll$ Ba+, #.B$/ Two in the middle a sweeper #S$ % last man ba+, a stopper #ST$ % the irst line o deense playin( behind the 2 • •
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Three #3$ midielders) et #$/ .i(ht #.$/ and enter #$ Three orwards) et in( #$/ .i(ht in( #.$/ and enter !orward #!$
4 3 3T e a mF or ma t i o n
The 4-3-3 +onsists o o"r deenders/ three midielders and three orwards This ormation is amon( the dominant style o play or teams at all levels "rrently it is a ormation that is bein( "sed or yo"n(er (ro"ps o athletes "st startin( to play the (ame t is the easiest and least +omple ormation to learn/ "nderstand and play within t is still very pop"lar at the hi(hest levels o so++er and "sed by top teams in 7n(lish 8remier ea("e/ the Spanish a i(a/ and is the ormation that the nited States So++er !ederation #SS!$ re+ommends or yo"th so++er teams in the S
De f e n d e r sin
the 4-3-3 ormation +onsists o o"r athletes The deensive positions +onsist o a let and ri(ht "llba+,/ a sweeper and a stopper The let and ri(ht "llba+,s play in ront o the ,eeper and behind the midielders on their respe+tive sides o the ield The sweeper plays in the middle o the ield and is the very last deender The only player behind him is the ,eeper/ so this player needs to be very reliableThe stopper also plays in the middle o the ield :e;she is positioned approimately 10 yards in ront o the sweeper Set "p +orre+tly these o"r players sho"ld orm a diamond shape
Left and Right Fullback Responsibilities These two positions are probably the most varied positions in the (ame when it +omes to s,ill level 2t yo"n( a(es #5-1<$ these players sho"ld o+"s mainly on deendin( their side o the ield/ playin( the ball to the o"tside midielders/ and when ne+essary/ +learin( the ball The o"tside "llba+,s also are part o the atta+,/ ma,in( r"ns "p the sideline/ at appropriate times/ and loo,in( or +rossed balls or s+orin( opport"nities They +an also +arry the ball down the sideline and loo, to (et +rosses in themselves n this +ase it is very important to have speedy o"tside "llba+,s They m"st be able to (et "p and down the ield very ="i+,ly in +ase o a +o"nter atta+, by the opposin( team t is very important that o"tside "llba+,s do not (et +arried away with the amo"nt o oensive r"ns They m"st "d(e the opport"nity and only (o on the o++asions they eel will
a+t"ally res"lt in them to"+hin( the ball or ta,in( a shot an o"tside "llba+, ma,es too many "nprod"+tive r"ns/ they r"n the +han+e o (ettin( tired and not bein( able to (et ba+, and deend their (oal/ li,e their ob des+ription indi+ates
Sweeper Responsibilities The sweeper position is a +r"+ial position on the ield 2 sweeper needs to be smart/ ast/ an e+ellent ta+,ler/ and very +omortable +losin( down an atta+,er Be+a"se they are the last line o deense they very rarely ma,e oensive type r"ns Their ob is to +ontrol the ba+, They are the leader o the other three deenders and it is their ob to ba+, the other three "p at all times the opposin( team is +omin( down the ri(ht side o the ield the sweeper needs to be ready and able to ba+, "p his ri(ht "llba+, i he;she (ets beat The sweeper needs to do it all :e;she m"st be able to +lear the ball/ send the ball to open spa+e or the orwards #(enerally aimin( or the +orner la(s$/ +lear balls o"t with his;her head/ +ontrol the other deenders/ stop brea,aways rom happenin( as well as wor, with the ,eeper in settin( "p deensive sit"ations s"+h as +orner ,i+,s/ ree ,i+,s et+
Stopper Responsibilities The stopper is (enerally a bi((er player and this player m"st be +onsistent> doin( thin(s the same way ea+h time and not sporadi+ally the stopper (ets beat in an "nepe+ted manner/ his only saety net is the sweeper who will most li,ely be so +a"(ht o ("ard with the possibility o a brea,away o++"rrin( This player?s role at its simplest is to stop atta+,s rom happenin(/ preventin( the opposin( team rom be(innin( to mo"nt an atta+, rom their end/ and strippin( the opposin( team o the ball and distrib"tin( it to his midielders or orwards The stopper responsibility is 65-@0A deensive;disr"ptive and 30-35A play ma,er in the atta+, The primary tas, is to win possession o the ball and (et it o"t o the +enter o the ield to the wide midielders or the win(s The stopper plays nearly e+l"sively in middle third #lon(it"dinal$ o the ield and rom their penalty area to the 10-15 yards o"tside o the opposin( team?s penalty area The stopper is an etremely important player Mi d fi e l d e r sin
the 4-3-3 +onsist o three players 2 ri(ht midielder #.$/ let midielder #$ and a +enter midielder #$ These three players are (enerally the n"+le"s o yo"r team They are always in the middle o thin(s and +reate most o a team?s s+orin( opport"nities idielders m"st be able to play (reat deense as well as oense These players m"st be versatile and very athleti+
Outside Midelders Responsibilities The let and ri(ht midielders sho"ld be very it They will be as,ed to do an awesome amo"nt o r"nnin( d"rin( the +o"rse o a (ame They m"st s"pport the orward in ront o them and +omplement the deender behind them to be s"++ess"l These two players are oten the ones who +ross the ball in and aro"nd the (oal They m"st have stron( le(s and be very "nselish when it +omes to s+orin( They sho"ld not be shootin( too m"+h rom their sides o the ield they do wander into the middle o the ield then they sho"ld be ready to shoot/ b"t in most +ases they will be r"nnin( "p and down the sideline hittin( +rosses in or the orwards to +onvert into (oals
Center Midelder (CM) Responsibilities The needs to be a very talented player on the ield as well as the athlete with a stron( wor, ethi+ 7verythin( sho"ld essentially wor, thro"(h him and his presen+e m"st be ,nown by all :e is responsible or swit+hin( the ield o play rom side to side/ settin( "p orwards or shots/ winnin( all 50;50 balls/ playin( (reat deense/ shootin( rom distan+e and basi+ally dire+tin( the atta+, on the ield :e m"st be a very vo+al leader and instr"+tor The +enter midielder has an advanta(e over every other player on his team/ that bein( he is +loser to every other player than anyone else :e +an t"rn 360 de(rees and sho"ld always have someone within 10 -15 yards to whi+h to pass They also have the opport"nity to play the lon( ball into spa+e or on-r"nnin( orwards This position is +r"+ial
F or wa r d sin
a 4-3-3 ormation +onsist o 3 athletes They typi+ally play strai(ht a+ross the ield in a ri(ht win( #.$/ +enter orward #!$/ let win( #$ ashion There is a (rave mis+on+eption abo"t the orward position any believe that yo" are only an ee+tive orward i yo" +an s+ore (oals S+orin( (oals is obvio"sly an in+redible attrib"te b"t a orward who sets (oals "p and +olle+ts assists is also very val"able Some o the (reatest orwards in the world are the ones who set bi( time (oal s+orers "p or all o their (oals That behind the s+enes orward is important
Outside Forwards - ings Responsibilities These two orwards sho"ld always be loo,in( to s+ore Their irst tho"(ht sho"ld be to shoot/ b"t their se+ond tho"(ht sho"ld always be/ s there a better wayCD These orwards are oten the ones settin( plays "p *ten times the an(les on (oal that these players r"n into don?t e="ate into ="ality shots Be+a"se o this they simply pass the ball towards the middle and allow the +enter orward to inish the ob These players sho"ld be (ood dribblers/ and have at least one solid move that they +an "se to beat deenders Speed is a ni+e attrib"te to a o"tside orward/ b"t (ood s,ills +an repla+e speed sometimes Center Forward Responsibilities This player sho"ld be the team?s best shooter The +enter orward will be/ or at least in theory/ sho"ld be shootin( the ball more times than anyone else on the team n o"r team?s ormation/ the ! a+t"ally wor,s as a S"pportin( Stri,er :is role is to s"pport the in o"r deensive end o the ield/ win balls ; (ain possession in o"r deensive third o the ield and then play the ball to the win(s Similarly in the oensive end/ the ! sho"ld play sli(htly behind the win(s/ win the ball rom the opposin( team/ and distrib"te the ball to the win(s and then ma,e r"ns into the penalty area where the !
+an inish +ross or otherwise s+ore (oals This player sho"ld be ast and +raty with the ball :is ball s,ills sho"ld be e+ellent They sho"ld be able to dribble and +ontrol the ball very +lose to their bodies and wor, well in ti(ht pla+es hen they have a medio+re shot/ they ta,e it 2ll other players sho"ld #most o the time$ pass o medio+re shots b"t the +enter orward sho"ld always ta,e the +han+e and "se his;her abilities to the "llest
